What Stopped Him?

Joseph did you know? Mary did you know?

What was Joseph considering before Mary gave birth to Jesus? Joseph was engaged to Mary. Mary was going to have a baby, and Joseph was certain it wasn’t his offspring. However, he loved Mary and was a just man. So he did not want to shame her. Rather, he was resolved to divorce her quietly and not draw attention to Mary’s “sin.” Joseph did not know until…

“But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’” Matthew 1:20-21

It is easy to jump to conclusions about someone else and their many sins, forgetting we are also sinners. In reality, everyone I have ever known, myself included, is a sinner. Sinners are destined for one end: death. But Mary, although she was a sinner, did not sin regarding Jesus.

Rather, God sent Jesus to be our Savior through his servant Mary. The Lord Jesus Christ is Immanuel (God with us) who is Jesus (his name means “Savior.”) The angels bore witness of this truth and one angel specifically told Joseph of this reality in a dream.

There is a great song that talks about the marvel of Mary’s son. It is “Mary Did You Know.” In the song the questions become ever more ridiculous. However, they are only ridiculous if Jesus is an ordinary baby who grew to be an ordinary man. Thankfully he was not like other men. He is most extraordinary. He is God with man. He is the Great I Am.

Consider these questions from the song

Mary, did you know your baby would walk on water, would save our sons and daughters, has come to make you new and he would soon deliver you? Did you know he would give sight to a blind man, calm a storm, has walked with angels, caused the deaf to hear, the dead to live again, the lame to leap, the dumb to speak the praises of the Lamb? Did you know he was the Lord of all creation? Did you know He would one day rule the nations?

That he is the GREAT I AM?

All scripture passages are from the English Standard Version except as otherwise noted.

Mary, Did You Know? Pentatonix